Runaway expansion of giant shells driven by radiation pressure from field stars

Journal Article · Mon Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/159667· OSTI ID:5022852

Elmegreen, B G; Chiang, W

Radiation pressure from field stars can exert an outward force on a large shell of gas and dust in the interstellar medium. The radiative force increases with increasing shell size, so a sufficiently large shell can expand at an ever-increasing speed up to a kiloparsec or more in size. The supershells that are observed in our Galaxy and in other galaxies could have originated as smaller shells around OB associations or star complexes and then have grown to their kiloparsec sizes by radiation pressure from background starlight. The formation times for such supershells are between 50 and 100 million years, so the OB association that initially triggered their growth may not be visible anymore. Background starlight alone can give a giant shell a kinetic energy of 10/sup 51/ ergs or more.

• Research Organization: Department of Astronomy, Columbia University
• OSTI ID: 5022852
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 253:2; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
COSMIC DUST
COSMIC GASES
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DUSTS
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
EXPANSION
FLUIDS
GASES
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATION PRESSURE
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SPACE
STELLAR RADIATION
TRANSPORT THEORY